Accused Child Molester from Ohio Arrested in East Tennessee

Knoxville, TN - Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers with the Smoky Mountains Fugitive Task Force located and apprehended Jamie Lee Jones, 33, yesterday in Lafollette, TN. Jones was wanted on a 2015, five-count indictment out of Defiance County, Ohio, for Sexual Assault of a Minor Under the Age of 14.

On February 2, 2016, Jones pled guilty in the Court of Common Pleas of Defiance, Ohio, to the five-count indictment and was released pending sentencing. He then failed to appear to his April 5, 2016, sentencing and a warrant for his arrest was issued. Through their investigation, the Defiance County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force discovered information placing Jones in East Tennessee, and immediately relayed it to the U.S. Marshals Service in Knoxville.

Deputy U.S. Marshals in Knoxville and Task Force Officers with the Smoky Mountains Fugitive Task Force followed up on the investigation and, on December 15, were able to locate and apprehend Jones on the 1100 block of Highway 25 WS in Lafollette, TN.

“This was a concerted effort involving law enforcement officers at the local, state, and federal levels; and investigations like this exemplify the importance of the U.S. Marshals’ fugitive task forces, like the Smoky Mountains Fugitive Task Force and the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force,” stated Jimmy Fowler, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “These task forces, which are made up of Deputy U.S. Marshals as well as local and state officers, allow law enforcement to locate and arrest fugitives who move from one state to another in attempt to avoid capture,” he added.

“We are glad that the investigation is now over and Jones is in custody to be sentenced and begin paying his debt to society,” stated Defiance County Sheriff David J. Westrick. “Everyone worked together and their efforts make both East Tennessee and Defiance County a safer place for our citizens,” he added.

The Smoky Mountains Fugitive Task Force is a team comprised of law enforcement officers from the East Tennessee area working under the direction of the U.S. Marshals office in Knoxville. The Task Force’s objective is to seek out and arrest federal and state wanted individuals who pose a threat to the community.